Deprivation
by CoquetteDoll
Summary: He knows that he will die tonight. Ted/Claire.


  
Peter told them he had gotten a warning from Hiro, the time traveler: Sylar had phoned the FBI; Ted was going to be caught as soon as they stepped outside. Later, he would be murdered.

Thanks to Peter's invisibility, All three managed to avoid capture this time. The car ride out of the city was awkward and silent. Impending doom was weighing heavily on them all. Claire tried to make small talk, but Peter told her he needed to concentrate on driving. Ted just stared out the window blankly. She reached over and held his hand, making sure that Peter couldn't see. He glanced over at her, then back out the window.

"This is bullshit." He murmured as he squeezed her hand tightly. He was afraid.

After a few more hours, the sun began to set. They decided to stop, and pulled into a motel at the side of the highway. Peter got out of the car and said he would get them two rooms, but Ted stopped him. He bitterly reasoned that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight, so it didn't matter.

One room was enough.

Peter nodded and made his way to the front lobby, leaving Ted and Claire standing by the car. She leaned her head against him, sighing as she closed her eyes. "If you ignore the fact that it can kill you, your ability is kind of nice."

"That's not really something most people can ignore."

"Well, I'm not exactly most people." she continued. "I mean, you're so warm. I'd totally love to sleep with you. I always get cold at night, especially since I'm used to-" "You want to _sleep with me?_" He gave her an incredulous look, slightly amused. Claire frowned, her gaze falling to the floor. "Pervert..."

Peter returned with a set of keys, and they made their way to the room. It was small, with two double beds, but it would do for the night. Claire complained that she was hungry. She reasoned that Peter should be the one to go get food, seeing as how, he couldn't get hurt like her, but he could fly, go invisible, "...or whatever." He wasn't about to argue with her logic.

"Ted, stay here with Claire."

"I don't really have much choice, do I?"

Peter ignored his comment. He told them he'd try and be quick. Claire yelled after him to be careful. She closed and locked the door and turned back to Ted. She smiled sadly and sat beside him on one of the beds, holding his hand in her lap. The burns his hand caused on hers were quick to heal.

His pulse was racing in his head. He was alone in a motel room with a beautiful, underage girl who said she wanted to sleep with him. Of course she hadn't meant it like that, but now he couldn't stop thinking about it. There was something wrong with him. He pulled his hand away.

"Claire, you need to stop it. Right now. You're very pretty, and _very young_ and I don't want to hurt you. But sometimes I have trouble controlling my-"

She frowned and looked up at him earnestly, putting her hand on his thigh. " ..I'm indestructible, remember...?"

He couldn't hold back anymore.

Claire gasped as he pushed her down on the bed, heat radiating from every part of his body. She was right. It didn't matter. She was the only one he could have, and God, would he have her. He didn't want to think about the consequences.

"You heard what Hiro said. I'm going to die tonight, Claire."

His breathing was heavy and his eyes began to well with tears. He stopped pushing against her, but instead of moving away, she gingerly touched the side of his face, trying to comfort him.

He closed his eyes and tried not to think about his wife.

About what she would think of what he was about to do.

He needed this. Her. Right now. They barely knew each other. She was nearly half his age, the daughter of man he didn't trust, of a woman he had nearly killed. But he didn't care. He wouldn't regret this. He was hurting so badly right now, he _needed_ this.

"Ted, we can still change-"

"Don't. Just... don't talk." His mouth was suddenly on hers, stubble rough on her skin as his hand traveled down her thigh, slipping under the hem of her skirt. He hesitated, his fingers hovering above her skin as he looked down at the young girl. She smiled at him warmly, a hint of sadness lingering behind her eyes. She knew they couldn't turn time around.

"This is all right." He said it as if trying to convince himself, but she leaned up and kissed him. It was gentle and deliberate, her touch urging him to reciprocate. This time, Ted did it without any hesitation at all. He didn't have time to wait any longer.

She was lonely, like him. He was going to show her what it felt like to be loved for the first time.

And she would show him what it was like for the last.

I got the inspiration to write this from "NARC" by Interpol. 


End file.
